Building up the courage to ask for a raise can be tough, but there are a few ways to increase your chances of actually getting one. Professional networking site LinkedIn recommends asking just before January, June and July.

According to LinkedIn's data, the months in which professionals receive the most raises is in January, June and July (in the US; globally it's January, July and September). As such, CNBC recommends preparing to ask for a raise a few weeks before that. Of course, you'll want to make sure you deserve it first, and consider other perks before just asking for a flat raise. Hit the link to read more. Photo by Quinn Dombrowski.